Despite goal from Rutger McGroarty, Penguins fall in OT to streaking Blues

Of their limited accomplishments this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins can boast of being the last team to have defeated the St. Louis Blues.

That achievement remained in place Thursday as the Penguins fell to the Blues, 5-4, in overtime at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Forward Robert Thomas’ 20th goal of the season during a power-play sequence at 2 minutes, 11 seconds of the extra period was the difference.

With the victory, the red-hot Blues extended a winning streak to 11 games, matching a franchise record. Their last loss came at the hands of the Penguins, who earned a 5-3 victory March 13 at PPG Paints Arena.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry’s record slipped to 13-11-6 after he stopped 14 of 19 shots Thursday.

The Penguins were able to salvage a point in the standings Thursday due in part to the contributions of rookie forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty, who each recorded the first offensive figures of their still-young NHL careers.

McGroarty stuffed in a puck at the post to tie the score 4-4 with 23.8 seconds left in regulation. It was McGroarty’s first NHL goal. Koivunen assisted for his first NHL point.

“We think they’re making a difference,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to reporters in St. Louis via audio provided by the team’s media relations department. “They’re earning their opportunities.”

Penguins forward Bryan Rust opened the scoring with his 27th goal of the season 3:32 into regulation.

Chasing down a puck on the left wing boards of the offensive zone, McGroarty rimmed it up the boards to the near corner for Rust. Accepting the puck, Rust rolled toward the cage and attacked from a deep angle. Going forehand-backhand-forehand, Rust deked goaltender Joel Hofer out of orbit and tucked an easy wrister into a mostly vacant cage. McGroarty had the only assist and recorded his first career point.

The Blues tied the game only 39 seconds into the second period via forward Jake Neighbours’ 20th goal.

Off an offensive zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, Blues defenseman Philip Broberg initiated transition and offloaded the puck in the neutral zone to Neighbours, who gained the Penguins’ blue line on the left wing. From deep along the boards, Neighbours centered the puck to linemate Robert Thomas. Settling the puck just to the left of the crease, Thomas dished it back to Neighbours, who escaped detection from Penguins defenders and roofed a wrister over the glove of a sprawling Jarry. Thomas and Broberg tallied assists.

The Penguins regained a lead at 4:22 of the second frame when forward Connor Dewar scored his fourth goal.

Collecting a loose puck in St. Louis’ left corner, Rust curled around into the near circle and fed it low to the left of the cage for forward Rickard Rakell, who tried to jam in a forehand shot. Hofer held Rakell’s offering out but in the ensuing scramble, Dewar fended off Blues defenseman Cam Fowler and chopped in a forehand shot under Hofer’s left leg. Rakell and Rust registered assists.

Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich’s 16th goal at 6:48 of the second tied the game again.

Following a neutral zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Conor Timmins that was forced by Blues forward Nathan Walker, Buchnevich collected the charitable offering and burst into the Penguins’ zone on the right wing. Surging past sluggish ex-Blues forward Kevin Hayes, Buchnevich attacked the cage and elevated a backhander by Jarry’s left skate on the near side. The lone assist went to Walker.

The hosts took their first lead of the contest only 77 seconds later with forward Jordan Kyrou’s 33rd goal.

Corralling a loose puck in his own right corner, Fowler airmailed it up ice to the far blue line. Getting behind Grzelcyk and defensive partner Kris Letang, Kyrou took the pass, charged in on a breakaway and floated a wrister by Jarry’s blocker. Fowler had the only assist.

Neighbours struck again at 5:56 of the third period.

Pushing the puck out of his own zone, Blues rookie forward Jimmy Snuggerud centered the puck in the neutral zone to Neighbours, who fed it back to Snuggerud, allowing him to gain the Penguins’ blue line on the right wing. Mostly unimpeded by Penguins defensemen Ryan Graves and Ryan Shea, Snuggerud returned the puck to Neighbours, who tapped in an easy forehand shot from the left of the crease. Snuggerud and former Penguins forward Oskar Sundvist secured assists. It was Snuggerud’s first career point.

The Penguins persisted as Rakell scored his team-leading 33rd goal during a power-play sequence at 11:15 of the third frame.

Taking a feed in St. Louis’ right circle, forward Sidney Crosby considered his options and deemed Rakell to be the best choice. Established in the slot, Rakell accepted a backhand pass from Crosby and ripped a wrister by Hofer’s glove. Crosby and Grzelcyk generated assists.

McGroarty’s first goal came at an opportune moment when he tied the contest at 19:35 of the third.

With Jarry pulled for an extra attacker, defenseman Erik Karlsson zipped a wrister from St. Louis’ left point wide to the far side. Koivunen settled the rebound near the opposite corner and dished a pass to McGroarty low to the right of the cage. Turning to his right, McGroarty shuffled a forehand shot by Hofer’s right skate. Koivunen had his first career point as he was credited with an assist along with Karlsson.

“Rutger doing his magic there,” Koivunen said to reporters in St. Louis. “Just give him the puck.”

Thomas gave his team a victory in the overtime period.

St. Louis went on the power play at the 1:28 mark when Letang was called for slashing Kyrou. Letang and coach Mike Sullivan aggressively disagreed with the call.

Operating with the expanse provided by a four-on-three power-play opportunity, Thomas and Kyrou played hot potato with the puck a bit before Thomas ripped a far-side wrister from the left circle past Jarry’s glove. Kyrou collected the lone assist.

Notes:

• McGroarty became the 583rd player to score a regular season goal for the Penguins.

• Rakell (176 points) surpassed forward Pat Boutette (174 points) for 48th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Karlsson (108 points) surpassed defenseman Olli Maatta (107 points) for 88th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• In 13 career games against the Blues, Rust has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists).

• Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was scratched for the fourth consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury.

• In addition to Malkin, Penguins forwards Emil Bemstrom (undisclosed), Boko Imama (bicep) and Tommy Novak (undisclosed) as well as defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok were scratched.

• Per the transaction page on the American Hockey League’s Web site, the Penguins assigned Bemstrom to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Thursday evening.

• The Penguins’ last overtime loss to the Blues was a 5-4 setback at PPG Paints Arena on Oct. 4, 2017. During the season opener, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo scored the winning goal against goaltender Matt Murray.

• The Blues matched their franchise record for longest winning streak at 11 games. The original mark was established between Jan. 23-Feb. 19, 2019. Approximately four months later, the Blues won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

• In 11 career games against the Penguins, Thomas has 11 points (two goals, nine assists).